Fox, Wolf, Goblin, Queen, Butterfly.

And Auril Gavis and me.

Seven people in total gathered in the round table room, and an uncomfortable silence fell.

Thinking about it, it was natural.

The round table members were old users who had been dragged into this strange world for at least several years.

“Back home…”

“You mean… you’ll send us back…?”

Because they had spent so long here, they knew even better. Achieving the goal of opening the Abyssal Gate and returning home was nearly impossible.

That’s why most of them accepted life here and lived diligently.

But…

“Why, don’t you like the reward?”

The situation had changed.

The mastermind behind all this, [Dungeon & Stone]. And Auril Gavis, the very person who made that game.

It was none other than him who spoke.

“If you play the game and win, you will receive a ticket to return home as a prize.”

“Hmm, I thought this was a decent reward.”

For any player, this was an irresistible offer they would rush at like moths to a flame, but surprisingly, the round table members remained calm.

And rightly so, who were they?

They were the ones who had survived this harsh world until now.

If something delicious was suddenly placed in front of them, the first thing they knew better than anyone was to be suspicious.

Just like this.

“…I want to hear what kind of game it is first.”

“If I have to participate just to hear about it, then I won’t listen…”

Rather than immediately wagging their tails and rushing in, the members tried to collect information first for a proper judgment.

To their questions, Auril Gavis replied in a generous tone.

“There’s no way you have to participate just to hear about it. The game I prepared is a very simple one.”

It was quite strange.

By his tone, he sounded like a kindly old neighbor, but from our position, it was anything but that.

“……”

Auril Gavis paused, and the members’ faces behind their masks tensed even more.

What kind of game could it be?

Hopefully, he wasn’t senile and about to order them to kill each other or something.

At that moment, the old man finally spoke.

“It’s a quiz.”

No one there had expected that game.

“A quiz… you say?”

“Yes, it’s the quiz you know, so stop looking at me suspiciously.”

“No… I’m just curious about how it works…”

“Oh, I didn’t say that. When I ask a quiz, you just have to answer whether it’s true or false. It’s a multiple-choice quiz with only two options.”

“An OX quiz, then…”

Goblin quietly mulled it over with a doubtful voice, and Auril Gavis added more explanation.

Well, I’m not sure it counts as extra explanation.

“The quiz will continue until only one person remains. Oh, of course, you can quit midway.”

“Heh…?”

Butterfly made a sound like, ‘Look at this?’

Everyone felt the same.

It wasn’t elimination by OX quiz but quitting? What on earth did that mean?

“Do you mean there might come a situation where we have to quit?”

The Queen asked bluntly, and the old man gave a meaningful reply.

“Well, you might suddenly think so. I always respect your free will.”

Respect my ass.

They were all people dragged here while playing games at home.

I really wanted to snap sarcastically, but I just engraved patience in my mind and endured.

Nothing would change anyway.

“Anyway, I think that’s enough explanation. Anyone who wants to participate, speak up.”

Then the old man asked for participants’ intentions, and the time was short.

“There’s really no penalty for quitting or being eliminated?”

“Don’t worry. Didn’t I say earlier? This game is a payment for removing your masks.”

“Then… I’ll try.”

The Queen, who hesitated until the end, declared her intention to participate, deciding the participation of all members.

Ah, except for me.

“Sorry, but you can’t participate. But don’t be too disappointed. You can’t return this way anyway.”

It wasn’t that I couldn’t return; rather, they had no intention of sending me back like this. I had to grow hard and open the Abyssal Gate someday.

“Heh… So I’m different from the Seeker? Somehow, this is interesting.”

With that, Butterfly’s gaze toward me deepened, and Auril Gavis clapped his hands, gathering attention.

“Without wasting time, let’s start right away.”

I realized belatedly that in front of each seat, O and X signs had been placed.

Well, now it really felt like a mini-game.

‘…Surely this old man is hiding something.’

What trick was he planning?

I didn’t know yet…

“Now, here is the first question.”

As the OX quiz began, I understood why the old man said quitting midway was possible.

“The Fox mask is a wizard.”

“…!”

“Hold up the sign with O if you think it’s correct, X if incorrect.”

…This isn’t a game to get the answer right.

At the moment the first question came out, the awkward atmosphere surrounded the room.

“…”

Fox tried to keep a neutral expression but failed completely.

And…

“Uh…”

Knowing that situation, Goblin anxiously looked at Fox’s face.

“Hmm…”

It seemed the Queen had realized the hidden truth in this game.

Well, the other two hadn’t yet.

“Heh… why don’t we just follow the sign Fox holds? He is the quiz subject after all.”

“Oh, not a bad idea.”

All eyes turned to Fox, who seemed to gather his thoughts briefly and then lifted his sign.

“A circle.”

“You really are a wizard. I somehow had that image. Hey, Master? Isn’t it time to check the answer?”

At Butterfly’s question, Auril Gavis nodded.

“Congratulations. Everyone got the answer right. Then let’s move to the second question.”

“…”

“The Goblin mask is a paladin.”

Even Wolf and Butterfly, who were indifferent, realized Auril Gavis’s intention from then on.

“…”

“…”

The room became so quiet it was hard to believe a game was ongoing. People held up O signs, and a similar process continued repeatedly.

“The Queen mask has never entered the labyrinth.”

The answer to the third question was O.

“The Wolf mask is the leader of a clan.”

The fourth was O as well.

“The Butterfly mask is a member of Noark.”

Naturally, the fifth answer was also O.

At this point, one might wonder why they even made X signs.

“Well, now it’s time for the sixth question?”

After one round finished, the old man’s gaze moved back to Fox, and everyone knew what that gaze meant.

Everyone had long realized this wasn’t an OX game.

A revelation game disguised as an OX quiz.

That was the truth of this game, and since one round ended, the next question would surely become more intense.

“I’ll say one last time. I respect your free will, so if you want to quit, just say so anytime.”

Respecting free will…

Earlier it sounded ridiculous, but now those words carried a different weight.

He even kindly gave a taste.

No chance he could know my identity. As turns passed, the amount of information to be revealed in front of everyone would only increase.

“What happens if we quit here…?”

The Queen asked, and Auril Gavis answered immediately.

“Nothing at all. Ah, but since the game continues, you’ll have to give up your seat. One spectator is enough.”

“How certain is it that we can return home?”

“What would I have to say here for you to believe me? The only way to erase doubt is faith.”

“If you gave some credible evidence or something–”

“If you don’t trust me, the only thing you can do is leave here.”

“…”

“What can you do?”

Though the speech was obviously like a scam, the Queen couldn’t get up and leave right away.

Auril Gavis laughed at that.

“I knew you’d say that. In fact, this is the only way you can return home.”

“…”

“Cheer up. In the end, just stay until the end and become the winner. Oh, or I can give you some time to go ask that friend whether you can do this or not. Like you always did when something happened–”

“Enough… continue.”

The Queen interrupted irritably, and Auril Gavis cheerfully continued the OX quiz.

Thanks to everyone quietly holding their signs, one round took /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ about three minutes.

“The Fox mask once killed an innocent explorer to steal money.”

“The Goblin mask once received a prophecy from Reatlas.”

“The Wolf mask currently lives in District 7.”

“The Queen mask is a noble.”

“The Butterfly mask is a member of Orculus.”

I don’t know why only Fox’s past story came up, but the second round ended in a flash.

And…

“…Hey, Master? I’ll stop here!”

Butterfly declared quitting.

“I feel like my name will come out in the next round. Well, there’s nothing I can’t reveal… but it’s kind of awkward, right? And I’m not even sure if they’ll really send us home.”

“I understand your judgment. Then would you give up your seat now?”

When asked to leave, Butterfly nodded casually, then gave us a quick cheerful farewell.

“See you all outside someday!”

Saying that with a look in her early twenties made her seem quite fresh.

But maybe because of the OX quiz, I learned that Butterfly belonged to Noark, a criminal group called Orculus.

‘Why does her “see you outside” sound so unpleasant?’

But it didn’t feel like just a mood thing.

I doubted that person was a normal human.

“I’ll… stop here.”

Anyway, Butterfly left quickly at the right moment, and then Fox also declared departure.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect Miss Fox to make that choice. She was more desperate than anyone before.”

“That’s right… But after dying once and coming back, everything feels meaningless. My life now is precious enough.”

Fox gave an honest answer, then bowed shortly toward Auril Gavis.

“Still, thank you for that time. Whatever your intentions, if you hadn’t taken me then, I wouldn’t be alive now.”

“…Thanks. Even if it wasn’t me, Miss Fox would have survived well.”

“Then may I say goodbye before leaving?”

“Feel free.”

Fox turned and made eye contact with each person.

Wolf, Goblin, Queen, and me.

“Somehow, the number of people got smaller like this. It’s a shame. I never thought we’d part like this without a proper goodbye.”

“…Indeed.”

“But it’s nice to see faces. It really feels like talking to people.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. At least to me. At first, I was a bit surprised. Whether we return home or not, I wish you all well wherever you are. I mean that.”

The Queen was silent for a long time at the blessing.

Her thoughts were obvious. She probably wondered if there was some meaning behind those words.

Eventually, she must have realized there wasn’t.

“…Thank you.”

The Queen replied in a tiny voice, and Fox smiled briefly, ending the short conversation and shifting her gaze.

Wolf, who had a short connection, just glanced and passed.

Before Goblin, Fox fixed her gaze a moment.

But did she think it was okay to talk outside?

She left no special words for Goblin and looked at me.

“Actually… I wanted to say something to Seeker. Is that okay?”

Fox nodded briefly, as if to encourage me to speak, and cautiously opened her mouth.

“When life is too boring, why don’t you take off your mask and make a new one?”

Uh…

“Then surely life here will become more fun.”

Why was that premised on having no friends?

I didn’t know, but I chuckled at what followed.

“I did that.”

That was a little touching.